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Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Ethiopia on the Brink?

(Sep 14, 2016, (The Trumpet))--Civil unrest is growing in Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation. Upset by inequality and systemic corruption, members of Ethiopia’s two largest districts have taken to the streets. Since November last year, the protesters have faced off against strong government crackdowns.

Eighty percent of the country lives in poverty. Famine threatens 15 million residents. Many are ready to take out their frustrations on the government. But instability fosters its own problems, and opportunists in the region are watching closely.

Complete Control
After Ethiopia’s current ruling party—the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (eprdf) came to power in 1991, it segregated the country along ethnic lines, forming nine districts. But rather than maintain equal or proportional say among the various districts, most of the power has been gathered by just one—the Tigray district.

The Tigrans make up just 6 percent of the population. Yet over the last two decades, they have worked to seize absolute power—the Tigran-dominated eprdf now controls 100 percent of the seats in parliament. As such, the eprdf enjoys little to no political challenge or discussion, near-total control of the press, and strong sway over the judicial system. Read more fromThe Trumpet »